Pale Reflection
by AllieSMG
Summary: When a neardeath experience leaves Kate acting uncharacteristically aggressive, Sawyer begins to suspect that her ‘return from the dead’ is anything but a miracle. Jate Skate Co-written with Athena Alexandria
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Pale Reflection  
Rating: T  
Summary: When a near-death experience leaves Kate acting uncharacteristically aggressive, Sawyer begins to suspect that her 'return from the dead' is anything but a miracle. Jate Skate**

_**A/n: Just so you know, this fic is written by me, but Athena Alexandria and I have been brainstorming this story-line for a while, and she is as large a part of it as I am. :D This is based off of the Phoenix/Jean story line in X-Men 3, only me and Athena Alexandria have Lost-i-sized it. xD It's not a total crossover, seeing as we don't use the characters or powers or anything like that, but many scenes are similar. And just so you know, you don't have to have seen the movie, to understand I, or like it to enjoy the fic, it's very different. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 1**

Kate swung her backpack over her shoulder and trudged through the jungle, at a slightly slower pace than usual. She stopped for a moment, a sharp pain shooting through her vaguely sweaty forehead, a dizzy feeling interrupting her. She rubbed her temple gently and shook her head, pausing another moment, before continuing on, deeper into the jungle.

Before long, she found what she was looking for. A mango tree, ripe with fruit. It was deep enough into the jungle, that the survivors hadn't touched it much. She smiled as she looked up, taking a few steps towards it, when she tripped over a hidden root, falling flat on her face. With a groan, she lifted herself up, moving a strand of stray hair out of her face, when she heard a loud rustle in the bushes behind her. She clambered up; turning to see a smirking Sawyer emerge, and lean against a tree trunk, his arms crossed over his chest, looking very amused by the situation.

"Nice face-plant, Twinkletoes." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes, brushing the dirt off of her jeans and shirt. "You followin me again?"

"Unless you can gimme somethin better ta do, yes." He said wryly, his blue eyes sparkling.

She sighed, putting a hand to her temple again, looking down momentarily. "Leave me alone, Sawyer."

"The way I see it, I've been doin that too much. Either that, or you been avoidin me…" He let his words trail off, as he continued to search her eyes for an explanation. Something that looked similar to worry was hidden deep in them.

She turned away, taking her backpack off of her shoulder. "Why would I do that?"

"_You_ tell _me_…the Doc's noticed it too."

Kate glanced up quickly at the last part, but didn't turn. She began picking up mangoes that had fallen to the ground, gently placing them in her backpack, and virtually ignoring the Southerner's presence. After about five minutes of silence, Kate looked back at him.

"Are you just gonna stand there and check me out, or do you wanna help?" She smiled teasingly.

"Now, Freckles, that first one's downright tempting…but bein the Southern gentleman I am, I think I'll hafta go with the second." He grinned devilishly, stepping forward and picking up a stray mango, handing it to her, purposely letting his fingers brush hers more than they needed to.

Kate noticed, but chose to ignore it, rolling her eyes again as she went back to her task. Suddenly, she stumbled, starting to fall, but catching herself the last second. She seemed a little surprised, but didn't say a word, as she set her backpack onto the ground.

"Ya alright, Freckles?"

"I'm fine."

"Then what was that all about?"

"I slipped."

"You _weren't_ walkin." He said firmly, stepping closer.

"I'm _fine_, James." Kate turned to face him, looking him straight in the eye.

"Freckles, you don't look so good…" He commented after a long moment. She had bags under her eyes, and her cheeks were flushed. "You been sleepin alright?"

"I'm feel fine, Sawyer. Can we not talk about me anymore?"

He nodded reluctantly, dropping the topic. "Sorry. I just-"

As he spoke, Kate took a shaky step forward, then fell to the ground without warning.

"Kate!" Sawyer caught her upper body before she hit the ground completely, and gently lowered her to the dirt. "Freckles? Kate, look at me." He talked to her frantically, brushing the hair out of her face, and shaking her shoulders. "Kate!" Finally, he put his ear to her chest, and waited a few seconds. There was nothing. "No, no, no…don't you die on me…Hold on." He mumbled, lifting her into his arms in one, swift, motion, as he began racing through the jungle.

---------

Minutes later, Sawyer burst through the trees and onto the beach, his lungs burning, his arms heavy, as he searched frantically for the man that he was looking for. "Jack!" All eyes were on him now, but he paid no attention. Finally, he relaxed, as his vision locked with the doctor's. "Jack!"

His legs started pumping once again, so quickly, that he was half-afraid that he'd trip himself. Still, he kept himself moving, until Jack met him halfway, and led the way to his tent.

"She's not breathin, Doc." He gasped out, as they lay her on the makeshift bed in Jack's tent.

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"What do you _mean_, you don't know?" Jack shouted, quickly checking her pulse as he spoke.

"We-we were just talkin…"

"People don't just collapse mid-sentence for no reason, Sawyer." He said, tipping her head back slightly.

"Then I'm _guessin_ it wasn't fer no reason." He snarled, then paused. "…How's she doin?"

"She's _not_ breathing, Sawyer. Now stop asking me-"

"She gonna be alright, Doc?"

"I _don't_ know!" Before Sawyer could ask anymore, pointless questions, he pressed his mouth to Kate's, blowing his own air into her lungs.

Sawyer stood back, a fear filling him that he had never known before. He watched in silence, as Jack performed CPR for what seemed like hours. In actuality, it was only about a minute. "Jack, is she-"

"Shut up." Jack snapped, as he pulled his mouth from her lips once again, pushing against her chest. This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not yet…He couldn't lose her like this. "C'mon, Kate, c'mon. Don't leave me, you can't leave me now." He nearly growled as he worked. He went back down again, his own breath short from trying to resuscitate her, but he refused to give up.

"Jack…"

He was ignored.

"Doc?" He choked out the soft-spoken word, as Jack continued to try to revive Kate. "Jack." He said, this time louder and more firmly. The doctor ignored him, still refusing to believe what was now dawning on the Southerner. "Jack, she's gone...Jack! Listen ta me!" Tears were shimmering in his blue eyes as he grabbed the frantic doctor's shoulder and pulled him back sharply. "Doc, _look_ at me!"

"What?" He yelled, turning to reveal tears in his hazel eyes.

"She-Jack…She's gone." His voice broke, his chest starting to heave.

"No." Jack shook his head. "No, not yet." He said, and went back to Kate.

"Jack, she's dead!" Sawyer yanked him back, almost savagely, from her limp body. "Ya gotta stop!"

Jack's body fell hard against the sand, as Sawyer dragged him a few feet away.

"No, no she's not." He whimpered, standing up.

"She's gone." Sawyer breathed, as if unable to say anything else. "She's gone."

Jack looked back at her, one last time, and it was as if what the Southerner had been saying, finally sunk in. It was just so quick, so unexpected…it wasn't fair. "She's-" He gripped Sawyer's arm tight, as if to keep from slipping to the ground.

"I know." Sawyer choked, pulling Jack closer, until they were half leaning on each other. "She's gone…"

_**A/n: So, how was that for a first chap? I'm happy with how it turned out anyway. :) Please take a few seconds to review and tell us what you think! We'd really, really appreciate it and it'll probably make us update faster. :D Thx!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/n: WOW! 19 reviews? That's amazing! Me and Athena Alexandria are sooo excited that we drew this much attention. Please keep up the reviews and we'll keep giving you quick updates when we can. Sorry about the short chapter this time, but it was so important to the story and exciting, I think it'll be okay. Enjoy and thanks again!_**

**Chapter 2**

No. No. She couldn't be dead. It couldn't happen like this. Jack shook his head, tears clouding his vision, struggling to get a hold of himself. He didn't even care that his hands were clutching at Sawyer's shirt, his body stiff. None of that mattered now. Kate was gone…Suddenly, he let go of Sawyer and stepped back.

As soon as the doctor's grip loosened, the Southerner lost it. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, his legs feeling like liquid as his eyes shot to her pale body. He felt sick to his stomach. Dead. The word echoed in his brain, shooting pain straight to his racing heart. Kate was dead.

"Jack…" Sawyer managed, shaking his head, and lifting his head.

He turned his head towards the other man, when a gasp sounded from behind them. A loud, long gasp of air. Then another, and another, they got heavier and more persistent. Both men turned, racing towards Kate's side as she struggled for each, agonizing breath of oxygen. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her face still looked as pale as death, the color ever so slowly returning to her cheeks.

Jack got to her first, kneeling at her side, when Sawyer nearly ran into his back, trying to get close as well. He managed to brush her cheek with his thumb, as Jack pushed past him for better access.

"Jack."

An almost inaudible whisper left Kate's lips, and Sawyer froze. He immediately stood and stepped back, as if snapped out of his moment of shock and need to be close to her. Sawyer watched the doctor eagerly move closer and prop her up so she could breathe more easily. Jack's touch was feather-light, as he first took her pulse, then placed a gentle hand on her forehead and neck, checking her temperature.

"Shh, it's okay. Just breathe, Kate. Breathe. You're alright, you're gonna be okay." He said the words like a mantra and held her close against his chest, as her breathing became more and more regular as those long seconds dragged by. The utmost relief was etched on his face, as his fingers brushed through her hair absentmindedly and he sighed.

Sawyer stood in place a few feet back, perfectly still, the same relief filling his expression as Jack's. Then, without warning, his relief changed to guilt. What if she _hadn't_ taken that gasp of air? What if she had _died _because of _him_? He had given up so easily, so quickly. He had pulled Jack off of her, when he was only trying to save her. When he had known something that he hadn't. What was _wrong_ with him? New tears burned Sawyer's eyes as he watched, the accusations slamming into his heart.

It had just been such a shock when she had collapsed, when he brought her to Jack and there was no response…he had been _so sure_ that she was gone. He hadn't wanted to accept it, but he had no other choice. She'd stopped breathing for _five minutes_. And to see Jack slamming his fist into her chest and breathing air into her lifeless lungs when it was no use…it had only added salt to the wounds of her death.

But she was back. She was alive. That's all that mattered, right?

_**A/n: So there ya go. She's alive again. And Jaters, there was a bit of Jack/Jate in there for you. Don't worry that it's mostly in Sawyers POV, it means nothing, that's just how we decided to write the story. :) And just so everyone knows, Kate wasn't really 'dead' and she's not a zombie. Jack managed to revive her, but it was a somewhat delayed reaction. For those of you who think it's unrealistic…well, this is a magic island, and this is fanfiction, and this is based off of a movie partially. Hehe Please review and tell us what you think of this, it really means a lot to us and is really inspiring. Thanks!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/n: Wow, we jumped from 19 reviews a chap to 14. Sad….oh well. We got you another chap quickly anyway. :) Just so everyone knows, yes, this is either set in or after season 3. It's pretty AU, so not many of the story-line of that season, such as Desmond's flashes and Charlie's death, will be involved. We haven't decided exactly yet. Anyway, Sawyer and Kate have gotten together, but their relationship is still up in the air and it's not really 'official'…but don't worry. The love triangle is an ongoing subplot in this fanfic, but the story is so much more than romance, and you'll be seeing that very soon. Don't worry so much about Skate or Jate, but just read the story, cuz they exist, but the ships aren't necessarily our main main focus right now. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 3**

Sawyer stood there for nearly five minutes just watching. Jack barely moved from his protective position, holding Kate close as she caught her breath. Finally, he interrupted.

"She gonna be okay, Doc?"

Jack glanced over quickly, as if startled that he was still standing there, even though it was only a few feet away. "Yeah." He nodded. "I think so. It's gonna be okay." He repeated, and Sawyer half-wondered if he was talking to him still, or Kate.

"Yeah, well…good job, Doc."

Jack nodded again, barely seeming to notice Sawyer's presence as he shifted Kate and began checking her vitals again, talking to her quietly. At that, Sawyer turned and left the tent, unable to take anymore of this. She was gone one moment, and back the next…emotions were raging, adrenaline racing through his veins, as he tried to steady his own heartbeat. As he stepped out of Jack's tent, he was greeted by the curious eyes of the survivors, who had gathered in a half circle around the opening.

"There ain't nothin ta see. Move it." He snapped, pushing his way through.

"Of course there's somethin to see, Dude. One minute you were carrying Kate in here, freaking out like she was dead or something, and now there's nothing?" Hurley commented.

"She's _fine_." Sawyer replied firmly, with a glare. "Just give her and the Doc some space."

Rose nodded knowingly and began pushing people back as well. "C'mon, give the poor girl some air. She'll come out when she's good and ready."

Slowly, the crowd diminished with wayward glances back at the tent, the flaps now closed. Sawyer didn't stop to thank the older woman as he continued walking down the beach, his thoughts still on Kate. He couldn't get out of his mind how dead she had looked. How quickly her skin had paled and how limp and light her body felt in his arms as he carried her through the jungle. And then when she woke…Gosh, he thought he was going to have a heart attack when she took that first gasp of air.

Suddenly a new thought struck him. He'd watched her a good, long time and she hadn't said a word aside from her whispered 'Jack' since she started breathing again. Did that mean something? Or was it just because she saw him first? And her expression. He'd been lost in that blank, almost lifeless stare as she wordlessly let Jack check her over. She didn't even flinch when the Doc's lips brushed the side of her forehead, though Sawyer did. Who was he kidding? She almost _died_. Of course she was traumatized and out of it. Jack said she was alright, so she was alright…wasn't she? Soon enough she'd be back to her old, stubborn self…wouldn't she? Sawyer forced himself to believe this, shaking the worrisome thoughts out of his head. He was just being paranoid…but still, he'd ask Jack about it later. He wasn't taking any more chances with her.

Now, only one thought coursed through his brain. "If that woman ever scares me like that again, I swear I'll…" He mumbled to himself, but let himself trail off, not quite sure of _what_ he'd do.

-------

"Feeling better?" Jack asked, handing her a bottle of water. She now sat across from him in the tent.

Kate nodded, taking a sip of the water. "What happened out there anyway?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask Sawyer, he was with you at the time."

There was a short pause. "Thanks for saving me, Jack."

She looked into his eyes, and Jack felt a strange shudder run through him at the way she was looking at him. She'd never looked at him that way before, and he wasn't quite sure if it was a good or a bad thing. "Yeah." He looked down with a chuckle. "It's no problem, Kate."

-------

"Is she alright?"

"Is that all you can say?" Jack smiled, clearly in a better mood than hours before.

"I _mean_ it." He growled.

"She's fine, Sawyer." Jack assured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"She said anything yet?"

"She asked what happened, but I told her she'd have to ask _you_ that."

"I _told_ ya already, I _don't_ know."

"Has she been acting strangely lately?"

"No more than usual." He teased, then sobered. "Been avoidin me…" He muttered. "You too."

"Huh?"

"C'mon, you can't tell me ya haven't noticed she hasn't been around lately. I had ta _follow_ her into the jungle. If I hadn't, she'd probably be lyin there, dead by now."

A worried look clouded the doctor's expression. "Anything else?"

"Nothin that I could see, but it ain't like the girl don't hide things."

Jack sighed. "She's traumatized, her body is still adjusting to the shock. Keep an eye on her." He said, his words more of a command than a precaution. Not quite a threat, but almost a warning to not let anything to happen to her in his presence.

The Southerner only nodded. "Always do, Doc."

---------

Sawyer was standing on the beach later that night, watching the crashing waves, when Kate came up behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He spun around in surprise. "Jeez, you scared me, Freckles."

She laughed lightly. "Didn't know I was that scary."

"Ya alright, Kate?" He asked gently, brushing a lock of brunette hair out of her face.

She moved a little closer. "Just fine…thanks to you." She added in a whisper as she inched forward, and surprised him by grabbing his face and capturing his lips in a powerful kiss.

He started to kiss her back for a short moment, but immediately pulled back, shocked. "What are ya doin?"

"Shh." She pulled him closer for another kiss.

"Kate-" He put a hand to her shoulder and pushed her back a bit.

A flash of annoyance shone in her eyes, but was quickly replaced with reassurance. "Sawyer, it's _okay_…"

"No." He searched her dark, emerald green eyes for an explanation, confusion written in his own clear blues. In her eyes, he didn't see love, he didn't see that familiar warmth and need that sparkled in them…he wasn't sure _what_ he saw, but it wasn't the Kate he had known these past few weeks. It wasn't what he had seen in the cages…it was something different all together. It not only hurt him that she seemed so emotionless, but it made him a bit nervous. "Freckles, what's this all about?"

"James…" she paused, and looked into his eyes. "I just-I never got to thank you for saving my life."

He chuckled. "Well, Jack helped…He get one of those too?" Kate rolled her eyes and pulled him close once again, grasping the cloth of his shirt. "Hey now, _hold_ on…what happened?" He kept her at arm's length, but looked genuinely worried. "You and the Doc get in a fight again?" He was only partially joking. He'd learned since that night when Kate jumped him in his tent, and he wasn't going to fall for that again. Suddenly she shoved him back, harder than he expected, causing him to stumble a few backwards steps and gaze at her in surprise. "Shoot, Woman, I was just kidding."

"No…you _weren't_." She shook her head and stormed away.

_**A/n: Haha! We see the first tiny emergence of Kate's change. Please review and tell us what you thought of this chap if you want a another chap soon. I made it a bit longer this time! ;) **_


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/n: 52 reviews! This is incredible! We're both so excited about this. Btw, this next chap was fun to write for some reason, and Athena Alexandria helped me a lot with little ideas here and there and it really added to the chap, so thank her too. She's awesome. ;) Anyway, we hope you enjoy it, and please keep leaving the amazing reviews that you have been. :D We appreciate it so much!_**

**Chapter 4**

It had been two days since Kate's…incident, and things seemed generally back to normal. She talked to the other survivors, spent time with Jack, picked fruit…she even started teasing Sawyer back, when he threw suggestive comments in her direction. She was smiling again, and Sawyer's previous doubts were virtually gone from his mind. They hadn't talked about their kiss on the beach, and how Kate had behaved, so he still wasn't sure what had happened… but then again, since when did Kate make perfect sense?

Sawyer smiled at the thought and shook his head, moving forward. At least she was alive. At least things were as close to normal as they'd been so far. In fact, the only thing that was different was that the frikkin' dog was always barking at her lately.

He was walking through jungle, back to the beach, after relieving himself, when he heard loud barking. He stopped and glanced in its direction, but after a short moment, ignored it and continued on his way. Just then, the barking began again and he heard a shout. Kate. He turned on his heel and raced in the direction of the frantic barking. What had she gotten herself into now? Suddenly, Vincent's barks turned into yelps, and then whimpers…then, there was silence. Sawyer froze in his tracks. The word 'no' echoed in his ears, all sorts of horrible scenarios filling mind as he continued running. The Others? The Monster? Whatever it was, Kate was close to the dog, and if the dog was…he stopped his thoughts abruptly, as he came into a clearing not far from the beach.

"Kate?"

She glanced up quickly, from where she stood over the limp body the Labrador. "Sawyer."

"What happened?"

"It was chasing me." She answered simply.

"Chasin ya? Ya could'na just tied him up somewhere? Jeez, Kate." He breathed, and stepped forward, kneeling down and nudging the animal. He looked back up. "What's goin on?"

"I don't know." She answered noncommittally. "It tried to attack me, so I hit it with a branch and-"

"He." Sawyer interrupted, at the same time, glancing around for a heavy branch that she could have hit him with…he saw none, but that didn't mean anything…Did it? It's not like she would've beat the dog to death.

"What?"

Sawyer turned his attention back to Kate, forcing the thoughts out of his head. "_He_, Kate. His name was Vincent." A strange fear welled in the pit of his stomach as he looked away.

"I knew that. Sorry." She looked annoyed at the interruption. "Listen, I wouldn't have…I thought he was going to hurt me, James." Kate continued, her expression softening as she moved closer. "God, I…" Tears sparkled in her eyes. "I don't know what came over me. He-he was just coming so fast and-"

Sawyer sighed gently. "He was a ten year old kid's dog, Freckles."

"You think I'd really just _kill_ a dog for no reason?" She scoffed, looking offended. "Yeah, that's me alright." She rolled her eyes, clearly upset. "Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence, James."

"Sorry, I just…was surprised." He mumbled, looking like a child being scolded, yet unable to shake the strange feeling that haunted him. "I'll bury him, you go on and…do whatever you were doin."

Kate didn't say another word as she left. Sawyer stared down at the dog's body and sighed once again. What was going on with her? Whatever it was, it had to do with her near death, he knew it…but what he didn't know, was what was happening to the Freckles he knew. With that, he lifted the dog into his arms, and began carrying him back to camp.

---------

Sawyer walked back to the beach, a little ways away from the rest of the islanders' tents, but the distance didn't keep anyone from noticing, nor did it keep them from giving him dirty looks. He set the dog's body on the ground and got a shovel. Minutes later, he was back by the small body, and digging a hole. No one came up to him the entire time. Not even as he shoveled dirt over Vincent, and then patted the ground firm. When he was finished, he leaned the shovel up against a tree, and peeled off his sweaty shirt, throwing it in his tent, before walking in himself.

It wasn't until an hour later, when Jack found him, that the subject came up again. As the doctor approached Sawyer's tent, he stood and walked out. "What can I do ya for?" There was no smirk on his face, in fact, Jack could've sworn he looked worn down.

"What happened with Vincent? Hurley says he saw you carrying him back to camp."

"Found his body in the jungle, no wounds, no blood…figured I better give him a proper burial."

"You have any idea what could've happened?"

"Well, it wasn't a bear." He shrugged. "That's all I know, Doc."

Jack nodded, yet looked unconvinced that Sawyer knew nothing. "Are you sure?"

"You _accusin_ me of somethin, Doc? Cuz if ya are, I'd advise ya don't beat around the bush." He said sharply, his anger flaring.

"Sawyer, I just – You never loved him. And you were complaining about his barking-"

"So I'm gonna _kill_ 'im for keepin me up?"

"Sorry." Jack gave up. "Just…Tell me if anything comes up."

"Fine." He shrugged, the annoyance still clear in his tone.

Jack started to leave, when he stopped, and without turning, spoke. "…Hey, have you seen Kate lately?"

Sawyer froze. "Not for a few hours now. Why?"

"You have any idea where she could be?" Jack glanced around absentmindedly as he spoke, scanning the beach, a trace of worry in his eyes.

"Nope." He shrugged.

"Well, don't you-"

"Listen." Sawyer said sharply, knowing that he would say something about them spending a lot of time together since they'd gotten back. He'd done his best to avoid the topic so far. "I don't keep track of everything the girl does, and she don't want me to. I'm sure she's fine. Kate can take care o' herself."

Jack looked surprised by the minor outburst. "…Are you _alright_, Sawyer?"

He sighed. "Just fine, Doc."

"You sure?"

There was a long pause. "You noticed anything different about Kate, Jack?"

He seemed to think a long time on the question. She had seemed vaguely different, but nothing to worry about. "No…" He shook his head. "Why?"

"Maybe it's nothin. She just-she seems different. Since the-since _it_ happened." He reiterated with a small shrug, as if his opinion were nothing.

"She almost died, Sawyer." He half-smiled, shaking his head. "If she's different, that's to be expected. Okay?" He assured him, giving him a pat on the shoulder.

'Not like this, it ain't.' Sawyer thought to himself grimly. "Yeah. Maybe."

"It'll pass. It's only been two days."

"Whatever, Doc." He replied, and walked past him, signaling the end of the conversation. If he wanted answers, he'd have to go to other sources. He just wished he had an explanation, he wished he knew what was going on with her so he could help…

"_They sent Juliet to check out Sun, but she was there to check and see if I'm pregnant too."_

The sentence resonated in his mind… Was it possible that that had something to do with it?

-------

"Hey, Jewel!"

Juliet looked up from the mango she had been cutting. "Yeah?"

"I-I need ta ask ya somethin."

"And what's that, James?"

"I…" He paused and turned his face away for a moment. "I need you ta tell me about…symptoms."

She looked intrigued and took a step forward, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. "What kind of symptoms are we talking about, James?"

He glanced down at the sand, looking as if he were going to leave, but he didn't. "Pregnancy. Anything about, ya know…mood swings and personality changes, and-" He stopped, unwilling to say too much.

"What's this about?" She smirked, crossing her arms.

Sawyer cast her a withering look. "Nothin."

"Is this about Kate-"

"It ain't about, Kate." He snapped. "If ya _hafta_ know, Sunshine over there went all 'Lord of the Flies' on me the other day." He paused and slowly grinned. "And she's been at Jin more'n usual too."

Juliet rolled her eyes. "Women go through a lot of changes during pregnancy, both physical and emotional. Their bodies ache, they're nauseous, insecure…they tend to be moody."

"_Just_ moody?"

"Yeah. What else _would_ they be?" He remained silent. "Do you want to give me an example, or am I supposed to guess?" She asked sarcastic yet still somewhat friendly, a small smile on her lips.

As much as he felt the need to tell somebody how weird things felt, he couldn't. Not yet. He'd have to do this on his own until he was sure. He couldn't have people thinking and assuming things that weren't true. "Just forget it. Ain't like it's my business anyway." He muttered as he turned and walked away.

_**A/n: Ooh, the plot thickens. Big happenings next chap, that's all I can say. evil grin If you want a quick update, tell us what you thought of it. Fave lines, theories, whatever! We enjoy it all, seriously. **_


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/n: Sorry for the long wait. I am SO sorry. I've been sooo busy with college and not very inspired to write, but after this chap it's really going to pick up. :D Thanks for the lovely reviews and keep them coming!_**

**Chapter 5**

"How are you feeling?"

Kate smiled. "I'm fine, Jack."

"You sure?" He reached over and playfully brushed a hand across her forehead.

She rolled her eyes. "It's been three days, Jack. I think I'm gonna be alright."

He chuckled and looked down momentarily. "I know. Sawyer's been really paranoid lately. I guess it's rubbing off." He joked.

"Sawyer? Paranoid?"

The doctor laughed again. "He's worried about you."

"Yeah? Well, I don't need people to worry about me. I can take care of myself." She smiled, tipping her chin up with an independent gleam in her eyes.

"I know you can."

Just then, Juliet motioned to him from a few yards behind Kate, and Jack stopped talking for a moment, looking back at her questioningly. Noticing that something else had caught his attention; Kate followed his stare, and narrowed her eyes at the woman across the beach. To her dismay, Juliet began walking closer.

"Jack, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure, Juliet." He smiled.

The brunette didn't look happy about this. "We're in the middle of-"

"Kate, just gimme a minute. We're not in the middle of anything." He then paused, surprised by her near-jealous behavior. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Go." She shrugged, speaking somewhat shortly.

With an inward sigh, he nodded and followed Juliet. As soon as they were out of hearing distance, from Kate, they stopped walking, and Jack spoke. "What's this about, Juliet?"

"Have you noticed anything different about Kate, Jack?"

"What?" The question caught him off guard. Sawyer had been pestering him with such questions since Kate's incident in the jungle, but he had always written it off as mild paranoia, quite common after a traumatic experience. But Juliet? If she noticed it too, was there some truth to it?

"Sawyer talked to me."

Jack allowed himself to relax at her words. Sawyer. That's why she was asking. "Kate's fine, Juliet. She hasn't shown any medical problems following her accident. I've told Sawyer-"

"He seems to think it's something more." She interrupted. "He was questioning me about mood swings, personality changes…"

"_Personality_ changes?" Jack asked incredulously, and Juliet nodded. "He just _asked_ you about Kate?"

"No," She shook her head slowly, a tiny smile on her face. "He asked me about _Sun_."

"Sun." Jack repeated, not quite understanding, before realization dawned on his face. "So….What'd you tell him? About Sun of course?" He continued with a smirk.

Juliet bypassed the question. "Jack, do you think there's something to what he's saying?"

"He's not saying _anything_, Juliet. Kate almost died. It scared him. That's all."

"Are you sure about tha-"

Just then, Kate striding towards them silenced the two. "What's going on?"

"N-nothing." Jack stammered, looking down, feeling a bit guilty for talking about her behind her back.

"You too?" She looked at him, a cross between hurt and angry. "I almost _die_ out there, and suddenly everyone's talking about me behind my back? First Sawyer, and now _you_, Jack? And her?" She added icily, her eyes flashing as her gaze fell upon the blonde woman.

Juliet's expression never faltered, though she flinched inwardly at the way Kate was looking at her, the tone she was using when addressing her. It immediately put her on guard, and for the first time, Juliet truly noticed what Sawyer was talking about. The old Kate wouldn't make her feelings so obvious. Just like the Southerner, she kept a tight lock on her emotions when possible, and didn't let just anyone know what she was thinking. She needed to be unreadable. It was who she was.

"We were talking about Sun and how pregnant women would be affected by the island's-"

"Don't lie." She snapped, the mention of pregnancy sending her reeling.

"Why would we need to talk about you behind your back, Kate?" She asked calmly.

The woman's calmness and patience made Kate's own edginess look so much more horrible, and for some reason, the fact sent her over the edge. "She's one of them, Jack."

"What? Kate, we've been over this."

"She's fooled you."

"She saved Claire's _life_, Kate."

"And who got her sick in the first place, Jack? She's not on our side."

He didn't seem to know what to say in response, and Kate smirked, as Juliet stepped forward. "Kate, calm down. I'm as much of an enemy to Ben as you all are. I don't have a side. Now, I think you better slow down and just-"

"Why should I _slow down_?" She asked suspiciously.

Juliet placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kate…Are you-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the brunette brushed past Jack and tackled Juliet to the ground with a strength and speed that Juliet didn't recognize from their last run-in. Kate managed to get a square punch into Juliet's face, before the other woman's instincts seemed to kick in. Juliet quickly blocked her face, struggling to roll Kate off of her thin, yet strong frame.

"Kate!"

Jack's cry was ignored as both women continued to scuffle.

"Kate, stop!"

Again, neither paid any attention. Juliet managed to head-butt Kate in the forehead, dazing her momentarily and then shoving her hard and elbowing her in the jaw, knocking her to the sand. She had gained the upper hand, but instead of using that to her advantage, she stood up quickly, yet in that familiar, calm manner that she always did, brushing sand off of her clothes and out of her hair. Then, before she had a chance to react, arms wrapped around her from behind. Instead of pulling her down to the ground again, as Juliet had anticipated and prepared for, she yanked her back and kneed her hard at the base of her spine, making the woman gasp and cry out in surprise and pain as her knees buckled underneath her.

"Kate!" Sawyer suddenly shouted, pushing through the small group of people. He cursed and shoved Jack out of the way. "What's wrong with you?" He snarled, as he passed the shocked doctor. "Kate!" Sawyer rushed out into the fight and nearly ripped Juliet out of Kate's grasp, releasing her quickly, before snatching one of Kate's arms roughly.

"Let go of me! Let go!" She screamed, backhanding him across the face in her struggle. He refused to do as she commanded, surprised by her strength, yet managing to hold her.

"Just settle down, Freckles. Come on! Settle down, will ya?" He growled, holding her so tightly he normally would have been afraid that he was hurting her, but not now. His death grip on her remained, as the crowd slowly diminished, and finally she stopped fighting him, relaxing her tensed muscles. After a minute or two, everyone was gone. Even Jack, who had followed Juliet across the beach, had left.

"Now." Sawyer gasped, loosening his hold on her. "Tell me what that was all about, Kate." He breathed.

She wrenched away and turned around, looking him in the eye. "It was nothing."

"It wasn't _nothin_, Freckles." He said sarcastically.

"Just drop it." She said softly, walking towards the edge of the jungle.

Sawyer didn't follow, and simply turned in the opposite direction, passing Kate and Jack on his way.

"It's not hormones."

His head whipped back at the sound of Juliet's voice. "What?"

She casually wiped a trickle of blood from her split lip and took a breath before answering. "That isn't normal behavior for any pregnant woman. It's not mood swings."

Jack just stared, looking back from Juliet to Sawyer.

The Southerner stepped closer and dropped his voice. "How do you-"

She glanced up, meeting his eyes, looking almost unaffected by the recent brawl. "Whatever's going on with her, James…it has nothing to do with pregnancy." She replied, and moved past him.

"Is she alright?" Jack asked, once she left.

"Kate? Aside from tryin kill Blondie over there? She's right as rain, Doc."

"I'll talk to her."

"Ya really think that's a good-"

"I'll be fine." He said briskly. "If something's going on with her, I wanna know what it is. It's okay, Sawyer, I'm a doctor." He reassured him.

He only sighed and nodded in the direction that Kate has disappeared. "She went that way. Ta the jungle."

_**A/n: REALLY big happenings next chap that will change the entire story. The following chapters will be filled with excitement and twists and turns, so get ready! Theories and ideas are welcome, tho we basically have the rest of the story mapped out. Details and scenes still help anyway. :) Please tell us what you liked about the chapter and let us know what you thought and we'll do our best to update as soon as possible!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/n: Forgive us…please, please forgive us. We planned this from the beginning, it was monumental! Anyway, you'll get what I mean. sigh I hope you enjoy it, tho the chap is slightly dark. Lots of jate tho…in a weird way.** _

** Chapter 6**

"Kate?" Jack burst into the small clearing, short of breath. "Wh-what are you doing out here?" He asked in a sigh, shaking his head, pure confusion written all over his expression.

She jumped up quickly from her previous position, knees tucked to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, and her back against a thick tree trunk. Her eyes narrowed upon seeing him. "Nothing." She started to leave the small clearing, but his voice stopped her.

"Kate, what was that all about back there? What-what's going with you?"

"It's _nothing_, Jack." She said sharply.

"No, Kate." He said firmly. "When you jump someone and try to kill them for no reason, that's not nothing. " Jack paused, still catching his breath. "That's not _you_, Kate…I thought I knew you." He continued gently, taking a step closer and touching her arm.

She flinched at his touch and pulled away. "I guess you thought wrong." She said coldly, and started to turn away from him, but he snatched her arm and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Kate, please. Just tell me what's wrong. Let me in."

"What if I don't _want_ to let you in?" She snapped suddenly, twisting his arm sharply causing him to release hers from his hold. Then, grasping his shoulders hard, pushing him back and ramming him into a tree and making him groan, she spoke again. "What if I'm _tired_ of you trying to change me? Maybe I don't need the good doctor to _fix_ me. Maybe this is who I am. Maybe I don't _need_ your help, Jack!"

"Kate…" His dark eyes held pure sorrow and compassion as he met her emerald ones. "Kate, I never wanted to change you." He breathed, wincing from the pain that her grip on him was causing.

With that, she surprised him once again, by capturing his lips in a lengthy and quite forceful kiss. Still pinned to the tree, and shocked into submission, Jack kissed back for a long moment, before pulling away with a sharp intake of breath.

"What are you-"

"Don't talk. Just kiss me again." She leaned in, but he pushed her back.

"No."

"You can't tell me you haven't wanted this, Jack." She looked deep into his eyes, a small smile on her face, and for a split second, she looked almost like the old Kate.

He looked down. "I-Kate, I can't."

"Because of her."

"Who?"

"You'd pick _Juliet_ over me?" She pressed into his shoulders harder, an intense and furious hurt in her eyes.

"Kate, it's not her." He sighed, his heart now beating quickly with fear that he refused to show.

"Then what's wrong?" Her expression went back to alluring and longing. "I've seen the way you look at me." She said slowly, smiling again. "I know you're in love with me…And it's _okay_." She let her lips brush his in a gentle kiss.

A kiss he ached to return, but forced himself not to. When she pulled away, searching his eyes questioningly, he finally answered her.

"Sawyer was right."

"What?"

"You _are_ different." He said calmly, pain in his expression, as he tried to pull out of her grip. He succeeded and took a step away from her.

"Jack!" She snatched his arm back and slammed him into the tree in almost a split second.

"Kate?" For the first time, Jack let his terror show through. "Are you gonna_ kill _me, Kate?" He asked, his eyes narrowed, his face pure defiance and fear at the same time.

"…No." She shook her head, looking down then back into his eyes. "I-I don't want…"

"You need help, Kate."

"I-I don't need your help." A slight edge was apparent in her tone once again.

"I can _help_ you. _Sawyer_ can help you."

"No. No, Jack…I-" Tears were in her eyes. "…You have to stop this…stop _me_." She breathed.

"Let us help you, I can _fix_ this!"

Suddenly her expression filled with rage and she pushed him harder against the tree, her hands wrapped around his neck, tightening every second until he coughed. His hands flew to hers, but her newfound strength overpowered him. "I…don't…_need_…your help, Jack!"

"K-Kate…" He gasped, his face was red and he was starting to feel dizzy. "Don't…do. You don't…want…K-ate…stop!"

His pleading only seemed to urge her on, as Jack saw the full extent of her change. The world began to spin as the life was slowly drained out of him, his chest burning, his head pounding in his head. For a moment, his right hand fell to his side and his fingers brushed the knife that he carried with him. The thought was only fleeting, as his hand went back up to her wrist and a gasping 'please' escaped his lips.

"Please."

The word echoed in Kate's ears, and a voice that sounded suspiciously like her own, seemed to scream for her to stop what she was doing and let him go. She needed them to stop, she needed to stop seeing Jack's hurt eyes and hearing his breathy words. In a swift decision, she pulled him forward and then shoved him back hard, making his neck snap back, and his head to crash into the tree trunk, knocking him out cold. Her fingers twisted around his neck once again, and remained there for a few more moments. Finally, Kate let go, and watched Jack's limp, pale body slip to the ground.

_**A/n: I know, I know…but remember, this was 'dark Kate'. There will be still lots of grief over what she has done when she realizes it, she doesn't really hate Jack of course, and this doesn't mean that it's all Skate from here by any means, tho there will be Skate next chap. Please don't stop reading, me and Athena Alexandria were worried you might, but we'll do our best to please you anyway. Try not to think of this as a shipper fic, tho it includes ships. :D There's so much more to the story, and Jack will still be a part of it…in a way.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/n: Thanks to everyone for all of the reviews! Some of your questions will be answered in this chapter. Including – 'Is Jack really dead?' Enjoy!_**

**Chapter 7**

Kate stalked to the beach and towards Sawyer's tent. She suddenly felt weak, and was only half-aware of what had happened. Kate had the horrible feeling that something awful had happened, and it was her fault, but everything was foggy. She couldn't seem to get the details…Something urged her to Sawyer. She needed a distraction…she needed _something_. It was as if two sides of her were battling against each other, when finally her doubt disappeared and that same tense strength filled her again.

------

Sawyer was startled by the sudden sound of footsteps behind him, and as he turned quickly to see who it was, he was forced into Kate's lips. She kissed him with such fierceness, that he wasn't sure what to say, or how to react. All he knew is that lately her kisses meant nothing, and he wasn't entirely sure that he could trust her anymore. He pulled away and searched her eyes, wishing for once that this really _was_ 'Kate'.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Juliet." She breathed, and kissed his cheek. "Just…I need you on my side, James." She whispered, planting another kiss on his lips.

"Course I'm on yer side, Freckles." He sighed. "What's goin on with you?"

"Nothing." She smiled. "I'm just fine, James…So, how's the book?" She nodded to 'Watership Down' which was in his hand.

"I…It's still about bunnies." He shrugged with a small smirk. She laughed gently and grabbed his hand, pulling him down to the sand, sitting down inches from his tent. "What're you-"

"Read to me."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Are you sure yer okay?"

"Just read."

He complied, but when he had barely read one sentence, she placed a firm hand on his chest, the other on his shoulder and began kissing him passionately. "Mmpf. Wha-"

"Shh." She said, and kissed him again.

This time, he couldn't bring himself to hold back. This was the first time she had acted normal since the accident. "…So, Freckles." He breathed. "What's this-mmm…all about?"

"Don't talk."

"But-"

Kate pulled back from the kiss. "It's okay, Sawyer." She whispered. "It's okay." She repeated, then pressed her lips to his, hard, grabbing his biceps and pulling him closer.

"Maybe the Doc was right." He mumbled, as he kissed her.

"Forget him." She said sharply, her tone forceful.

Her harsh tone snapped him out of his daze and a new thought struck him. "Uh, Freckles…Where's Jack?"

"How should _I_ know?"

"He followed you a minute or two after you left. I heard him yell after ya…he didn't talk ta you?"

"No. Why are we talking about _him_?"

Sawyer froze. "What did you _do_, Kate?" He asked slowly, horror filling his expression, pushing her away.

"It doesn't matter."

He grasped her shoulders hard, his fingers pressing into her flesh hard enough to bruise. "Tell me what you _did_ ta him!" He yelled, yanking her close.

Without answering, Kate pulled back and slapped him hard across the face, making his cheek sting, a vague dizziness sweeping over him. She looked at him, as if he were small and pathetic and shook her head. "You're just like him. And I thought _you_ of all people would want me." She snapped, and wrenched her arms from his grasp, getting up and walking away.

Sawyer leapt up and pulled her back to him. Their faces were mere inches from the other. "Tell me!"

"Since when do you care about hi-"

"Tell me where he is…_Now_, Kate!" Again she refused to answer, and started to knee him in the groin, when he jumped back, still holding on to her. "Uh-uh-uh, Freckles."

"Let go of me."

"Not until I get my answers."

"Are you willing to risk your life for your answers, James?" She asked coldly.

Sawyer set his jaw in a determined scowl, a terrible fear creeping into his heart. This wasn't his Kate by a long shot. "…You don't scare me." He lied.

"I didn't scare Jack either…at first." She added, with a suggestive grin. Her tone was almost teasing, yet malicious at the same time, as if she clearly knew that he _had_ been scared, just as Sawyer was now.

His fingers dug into her arms once again, and he couldn't be happier that he had moved his tent down the beach where less of the islanders resided. "_Tell me_ where he is. _Tell me_ what's wrong with you!"

Kate tried to release herself from his grasp, but her guard was already down. His persistence surprised her, his anger, his courage…He wasn't going to be gentle like Jack had. Realizing this, she let out a cry of frustration and hit his chest, while trying to get away.

"Let go of me!"

"Kate, talk ta me!"

"I _said_ let go." He pulled her into a gentle, yet somehow firm hug as she spoke. "Let go," She whimpered, nearly crying, as she gave him a halfhearted punch to the shoulder. He only held her tighter. "Let go..." She mumbled again, and nearly collapsed into his shirt. He could barely understand her anymore as she cried, grasping his shirt firmly in her hands as she sobbed. "I...I...God Jack, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." She wept uncontrollably, her full weight against him now, her legs giving way. Shocked, he held her closer, now with care instead of taut muscles. He was finally getting somewhere. This was Kate.

"What happened? Baby…Freckles, tell me what happened. I wanna help, but ya gotta _talk_ ta me."

She slowly removed her face from his tearstained shirt; her expression held grief. Kate shook her head, and mumbled something to herself, before stumbling out of his arms and running back into the jungle. Still stunned, Sawyer watched her disappear, then began to follow a minute later.

---------

"Jack…Jack please." Kate now held the doctor's lifeless hand, new tears streaming down her cheeks.

"_Why_? Why did you let me do that to you? _Why_?" She begged him for an answer, knowing none would come. "I-I'm so sorry, I'm so, so-"

"Kate?"

She turned quickly, dropping Jack's hand, to see Sawyer standing a few yards behind her. "What did you-" His heart sank and guilt filled him. He could have stopped him. He could have stopped Jack from going out there, from talking to her. But he hadn't. The Doc was his only real friend. A man he respected, even though he'd have never admitted it to him. He'd just watched him leave…and now he was gone.

Because of Kate.

"I didn't mean to. I-I don't know what's happening to me, I can't control it." She whimpered, falling from her crouched position, to her knees, putting her hands to her face. "I never wanted to-I don't know why I-"

"Hey…" He soothed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come here." He gently pulled her to her feet and into his arms. "It wasn't yer fault. If-if somethin's wrong, if ya didn't mean…" He struggled for a justification, but the reality of it was - She had murdered Jack…and there was no justification for that.

"Tell me what's wrong with me, please tell me how to fix it." She cried softly.

Sawyer had never heard her so vulnerable in his life. "I don't know." He breathed into her hair, still holding her tight. "I just don't know."

"Stop me…_please_."

"Kate-"

"I don't want to hurt anyone else!"

"Don't you talk like that." He growled forcefully. "But...but ya killed Jack, Freckles. Ya gotta tell me what's goin on. Ya gotta help me out before I can help you."

He felt her body tense and suddenly she ripped herself out of his arms. "You think I _know_? Don't you think if I _knew_ I'd try to _stop_ it?" She screamed.

He took a hesitant step back. "Kate…calm dow-" He started, watching 'Kate' quickly drain from her.

"Don't you tell me to calm down! You don't care about me. You've always wanted to use me, you wanted me for yourself, but I'm not letting you anymore!"

"Kate, what're you _talkin_ about?" He gasped.

She turned away and fell to the ground once again, her hand brushing Jack's stomach, near the top of his pants. Sawyer watched her for a moment, before kneeling down himself and placing a hand on her arm. To his surprise, she whipped around, a knife now in her hand as she tackled him to the ground with extreme strength, straddling him as she stabbed him through the middle of his shoulder, where a small bundle of nerves met, eliciting a agonized scream of pain from him.

She smiled, lowering her face to his, pressing harder with the knife's handled making his moan. "Oh, come on." She smirked. "It's not that bad…" She said, and twisted the knife just a little, making him cry out sharply and arch his back, before she calmly got up and walked away, leaving behind the limp and battered forms of the two men whose love for her had destroyed them.

_**A/n: Please review and tell us what you thought. Next chap, another character will be added (not an original one tho) and some more details on what could be wrong with Kate, will be revealed. And just because we used the word 'destroyed' doesn't mean Sawyer's dead, so don't freak out. :D**_


	8. Chapter 8

_A/n: Sorry for the wait, here's another chap! Enjoy!_

Chapter 8

Sawyer lay in the middle of the jungle, pain etched on his face, his breath coming in and out in quick gasps, his short whimpers caught in his throat. After he had hit the ground, he had blacked out. He wasn't sure how long it had been, but judging from the pain in his shoulder and the intense dizziness he felt, it had been a while. It took him a moment to clear his head, and realize what had just happened. As it all began to come back, he struggled to block the pain out and figure out what to do next. His head was spinning from the slow blood loss, discomfort, and utter craziness of the situation. He didn't know_what_ to think, and he was in too much agony to think clearly, even if he could. His shoulder seemed to pulse, sending a shooting pain throughout his entire body and he felt almost paralyzed with it.

Would be die here in the jungle? If he ever got back, what would he do? How would he explain? If she saw him alive would she come back and finish the job? And what would everyone do to her if they found out? For some reason, this last question scared him the most. He could change her, he could help her, he _knew_ he could. He had to. He'd seen her be herself again, he'd seen her crying over Jack's limp body, he'd heard the horror in her voice as he held her in his arms, next to their dead friend. She was still herself, at least sometimes. That had to mean _something_, didn't it? It had to.

Sawyer didn't know what he'd do if he lost her…but he knew that if this didn't stop, if he couldn't help her, if they couldn't find out what was wrong with her, and then fix it…he _would _lose her.

With that final thought, he wrapped shaky fingers around the handle of the knife and ever so gently lifted. The slight pressure on the wound made him gasp and moan, and he quickly removed his hand. He felt a warm trickle of blood slip down his arm, and a shudder ran through his body. If he took the knife out of his shoulder, he'd bleed to death before he made it halfway back.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, before placing a firm hand on the ground and pushing himself to his knees with a cry. He felt tears burn the back of his eyes, but he took another shaky breath, and while holding his shoulder, stood to his feet. Another wave of dizziness washed over him, and for a moment he thought he was going to collapse, but managed to keep his balance. After a few more seconds, he took a staggering step forward, when he heard a bird fly through the trees above him. He quickly turned his head towards the sound, and when he did, Jack's dead body came into view once again. Now the agonizing pain in his shoulder was coupled with an emotional heaviness that sprang from the remembrance of his friend's tragic death…at the hands of someone they both cared for.

After a long gaze at the doctor's body, Sawyer knew what he had to do. He couldn't just leave him there. He needed to be buried…remembered. And if he died bringing him back, bled to death, or was picked off by polar bears…Maybe that was just as well. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore, and he'd finally be at peace. Something he hadn't had in his entire life, maybe something he'd never have.

Sawyer stumbled forward, leaning over and grasping the man's arms, careful to keep his feet as he painfully hoisted Jack's limp body over his good shoulder with a long moan. Once he was sure that he had as strong a grip as he would get, Sawyer struggled to take his first step towards all that he knew as home.

---------

All he remembered was pain. Short breathes, exhaustion, misery…and then cries of surprise and fear. He remembered hitting the sand, and feeling a heavy body land on his back. The hard ground and extra weight pressed the handle of the knife embedded in his shoulder further into his flesh, and caused it to roughly pierce through the other side. He didn't have the strength to scream, but it almost became too much. He longed to lose consciousness, but for some reason he didn't. He just closed his eyes and hoped for release.

Familiar voices surrounded him, but he barely noticed them. Suddenly, the weight of Jack's body was lifted off of his back, and he could breathe easier. The voices then seemed to meld into one; he could no longer distinguish them from each other. Harsh, prodding hands rolled him over quickly, making the knife cut through his shoulder a bit more and this time an unintentional, tormented cry echoed in his ears. His body seemed heavy and despite the fact that he longed to move away from the pain, he found himself unable.

-----

"Sawyer?"

Sayid repeated the name, hoping to receive any sign, any response from the Southerner. Instead, he was met with fluttering eyelids and moans that came with every breath. A crowd of people gathered around him close, it was almost suffocating.

"Please, stand back!" He commanded, in a tone that dared anyone to challenge him.

He was promptly obeyed, still, the worried voices continued. Ignoring them, Sayid unbuttoned Sawyer's shirt and ripped his sleeve to get at the source of all the blood on his clothes. The wound was ugly, from what he could see, and blood was streaming from it, even though the knife remained into his shoulder. Still in a state of shock at what he had seen…Sawyer, staggering out of the jungle with a very dead Jack slung over his back, and then collapsing to the ground, barely aware of his surroundings.

"Sayid?"

Before he had even realized anyone had approached him, Juliet was at his side, and kneeling next to Sawyer. That was when the other body on the ground caught her eye. The word 'Jack' formed on her lips, and for a split second, Sayid saw fear and pain in her eyes. She quickly masked it, her face becoming blank as she reached over and placed her fingers on his neck, checking his pulse. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and nodded, moving back towards Sawyer.

"What happened?"

"I do not know, but he needs medical attention."

"_I'm_ not Jack." She informed him firmly, keeping her vice low.

"But you are now our_only_ doctor, Juliet. Whether I trusted you or not before, right now I have no choice."

She paused, then pursed her lips and nodded again. "We need to get him into one of the tents. If we don't get this knife out and stop the bleeding, we're gonna lose him."

"What about Jack?"

"I'll get James to his tent. You move the body. Don't let anyone panic, and don't tell anyone anything."

"Juliet-"

"We don't have time to argue." She said calmly.

Sayid forced himself to trust her and do as he was told.

_**A/n: We have the next chap planned out, but we're both busy people. So if you want it quickly – Blow us away with some awesome reviews. Lol! We'll do our best!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_A/n: thanks for the reviews! The story continues…no Kate yet, but there will be more of her and some Jateness next chap. Enjoy!_

Chapter 9

Sawyer's eyes flickered. "Wh-where…." He struggled to sit up, using his good arm, but groaned in pain.

"Shh. You need to lie down." Juliet told him firmly, while gently pushing him back to the ground.

"…Kate…Wh-where is she?" He asked in breathy gasps. He started to push himself up again.

"You need to stay calm, James. You've lost a lot of blood."

"What? You the Doc now?"

A pained expression flitted across her face. "You're gonna hurt yourself, James." She picked up one of the shirt lying next to them, and ripped it into strips. Next, she picked up some old rags and moved them closer.

"What're ya doin?" He mumbled, struggling to remain conscious.

She didn't answer, straddling him gently. "Hold still." She commanded, grasping the handle of the knife.

A tiny, stifled whimper rose from his throat, as he grit his teeth. Without another word, she pulled upwards, eliciting a guttural cry from the man, as the weapon came free from his flesh. Juliet set the knife down, and Sawyer quickly bit down on his lip, pressing his head into the sand, closing his eyes, as she applied pressure to the bleeding wound. He shifted in discomfort, instinctively moving away from the pain, as his vision began to darken. Juliet's voice telling him to stay still snapped him back into reality.

"Juliet?"

Her head turned towards the new voice. "He's bleeding badly. I'm not sure if I can stop it."

"What can I do?"

She looked down and took a deep breath. "Did Jack have any medical supplies besides what he carried in his pack? Bandages? Antiseptic, alcohol, anything to clean the wound?"

"I'm not sure…" Sayid seemed to be thinking, when they were interrupted by the Southerner's weak voice.

"Corner of the tent, in the bag…few bottles left…"

Juliet carefully got up and searched for the alcohol, while still speaking. "Sayid, can you get Jack's backpack from his tent? We're gonna need some bandages…The wound's deep, if we can slow down the bleeding, then I can stitch him up."

"I do not think that is going to work."

She glanced back. "What?"

"May I speak to you for a moment, Juliet?" Sayid asked. She nodded, looking confused.

"H-hey, where ya-where ya goin?" Sawyer lifted his back from the ground slightly, while holding a rag to his bleeding shoulder, fear in his eyes. Sayid and Juliet stood just outside of the tent, still in view, but spoke quietly enough that he couldn't hear what was being said between them.

---------

"I don't think I can stop the bleeding with just pressure, and if we don't stop it soon, he's going to die."

"Have you ever heard of cauterization, Juliet?" Sayid asked calmly. He didn't wait for her to answer. "If you cannot stop the bleeding with pressure, then-"

"I know what it is, Sayid."

"Then you agree?"

She took a deep breath and crossed her arms. "I know we don't have a choice, but I just don't feel comfor-"

"So you are going to let him die because you are afraid of causing him pain?"

"No, I'm hesitant because it's an invitation for infection, especially on an island. I thought maybe we should think this through before jumping into it." She said coldly.

"Well, we do not have much time." He argued back.

Juliet paused, and looked away momentarily. "Can you get what we need?"

Sayid nodded. "A few weeks ago, I fashioned a soldering iron out of some supplies from the crash."

"Good." The man started to turn, when her voice stopped him. "Sayid? You might wanna get someone to help hold him down."

-------

"What're ya gonna do?" Sawyer asked, lifting his head when Juliet entered the tent again.

"I'm going to keep applying pressure to the wound, James." She replied, kneeling next to him and pressing hard into his shoulder.

"Umh…take it easy…" He groaned. "So…what was that little talk about out there?" He mumbled, closing his eyes and lying back.

"Nothing, James."

Minutes later, he opened his eyes. "Tell me somethin…is the room supposed ta be spinnin?"

"You've lost a lot of blood. Close your eyes and stay still."

Before he could reply, Sayid walked into the tent. A short iron was in his hand, the end of it glowing red-hot. Sawyer shifted back, as Sayid knelt down and handed the iron to Juliet. Locke followed the Iraqi into the tent and wordlessly held Sawyer's legs in a steel grip, clearly having already been told what to do.

"Are you ready?" Sayid asked Juliet, meeting her eyes.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before slowly nodding. "Uh-huh."

"The hell is goin _on_ here?" Sawyer exclaimed, struggling to move away, but finding it both painful and hard, seeing as he was barely conscious.

"We have to seal the wound." Juliet said quietly, gripping the iron tightly. "Bite down on this." She said, pressing a fresh rag through his clenched teeth.

He gasped. "No, I don't think so…" He said, his words muffled by the rag. "Get away from me with that thing!" He eyed the iron warily.

Sayid nodded to Juliet, and straddled the Southerner, placing his hands on Sawyer's arms and holding him down firmly, so the weak man couldn't move.

"What're ya doin? Get offa me!"

The blonde woman hesitated, staring at the hot iron then the wound. "I-" Suddenly, she felt sick. This wasn't her area of expertise; she wasn't trained to do things like this!

"Now, Juliet!" Sayid said loudly.

Juliet closed her eyes and moved the iron closer.

"Don't close your eyes!" Sawyer cried through the rag in his mouth, still struggling, eyes wide with fear.

"Juliet!" Sayid snapped.

Without another thought, she pressed the smoldering iron to the wound. A hiss and the smell of burning flesh immediately greeted her.

"Son of a bi-" Sawyer cut off mid-sentence, an agonizing scream rising from deep in his throat, as his back arched, his head slamming into the sand. Sayid frantically tried to keep the man down, but Sawyer managed to free his good arm and caught him in the jaw, just as Juliet lifted the iron.

The screams stopped, but tortured whimpers still filled the tent for a few more moment, sounding something like choked sobs, until Sawyer finally lost consciousness. Juliet looked at Sayid, then Locke, all three of them breathing hard.

"Well…that wasn't so hard now, was it?" She said with a half smile.

---------

Locke brushed his hands off on his jeans as he left the tent. "So…are you gonna tell me what that was all about, Sayid?" He asked, turning to face the Iraqi.

"We sealed the wound."

"Yeah, I got that. Where did it come from?" He asked, vaguely impatient. "Was it the Others?"

"I don't know." Sayid said.

Locke stared into his eyes, then nodded. "That's the truth."

"It is. I assure you, as soon as he is well enough, I intend to question him about it. In the mean time, thank you for your help." He replied, dismissing the topic and the older man, as he turned back.

"Sayid…"

"Yes, John?"

He chuckled, looking at the ground, then back up. "I get the feeling you don't trust me."

Sayid smiled. "Your feelings are right, John." He paused. "Again, thank you for your help."

---------

**(Later That Night)**

Sawyer shivered violently in his sleep. He hadn't woken since that afternoon when they had stopped the bleeding and bandaged his shoulder. Juliet had stayed at his side the entire time, while Sayid came in occasionally to see how he was progressing and if she needed his help.

"How is he?"

"His fever spiked again. I don't know anything exact, but he's definitely worse. It's only been a few hours and his temperature has to be over a hundred." She said, brushing a gentle hand over the Southerner's forehead, resting it there. "He can't survive like this…the wound, the-"

"Is there a possibility that it could be infected already?"

She nodded. "We don't know how long he was out there like this. He was gone for a few hours, but we don't know when he was stabbed…or why." She added in a low tone.

"Do you think it could have been _your_ people?"

She glanced up, narrowing her eyes. "They aren't _my_ people."

"Answer the question."

"It could have…but tell me, why would they want to kill Jack and stab James?"

"You tell me."

She rolled her eyes and went back to working on Sawyer, lifting the bandage and exposing the nasty looking wound. She winced inwardly as she poured a small amount of Sawyer's alcohol on it, then gently replaced the old bandage with a new one.

"What about Kate?" Sayid tried again, all the while watching her work. "Did 'they' want her? Could Jack and Sawyer have gotten in the way of a kidnapping?"

"They could have…" She answered calmly, looking him in the eyes. "But I don't think they did."

"Then how do you explain this?"

Juliet took a deep breath. "I don't know."

"I think you _do_."

She set her jaw and met his eyes yet again, looking almost offended. "I don't _know_ anything, Sayid. If you want to interrogate me…do it…but I'm the only thing keeping him alive right now." She said, nodding to Sawyer's trembling body. "If you want answers, then wait until he wakes up."

-------

Sawyer woke up with a start, horrible pain flooding his senses. His eyes, bright with fever, shot open and he took a gasping breath, a whimper caught in his throat. He looked around the dark tent, as if wondering where he was. "Wh-where…what…"

"Hey…" Juliet brushed the sweaty blonde hair out of his eyes. "Calm down, alright? You're safe."

Sawyer let out a muffled cry. "Oh god-" He shut his eyes, nearly delirious with the fever and the pain, dizziness washing over him. "Where is she?"

"What?"

"…Kate…Where is she?"

"We don't know, James."

"Do you-"

"She ran…she ran away."

"Why, James?"

"Jack."

"What _about_ Jack?" Her tone became more frantic.

Suddenly, it was as if something clicked in his mind and he remembered it all, even through his foggy memories and loose hold on consciousness. "The Others…" He managed to whisper.

"What _happened_?" She asked, leaning closer.

"They killed him. They killed Jack…She ran…" He mumbled, struggling to maintain his conscious state. "I gotta find her…" He moaned.

"Shh…You're gonna be okay." She said soothingly, watching his eyes close, before quietly standing up and leaving the tent.

"What is it?" Sayid stood up from where he stood a few yards away.

"You were right." She said softly.

"And what exactly was I right about?"

She sighed. "It was Them."

_**A/n: I hope you liked it! We'll start on the next chapter soon. There will be between 12-15 chapters in altogether, we're not quite sure yet. Either way, we've still got a ways to go, and lots to explain. Please review and tell us what you think!**_


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